So this first move was simple and it cut the noise from S-7 to S-3 on average noise levels when were driving th truck on the highway. When this truck was built, the top of the engine block had a fin on it for the hanging chain. Well, I could have spent $800 to drop down the tanks and put in their new fuel pumps but I wanted to try the suggested cures from K0BG website.įirst, I grounded the engine block to the chassee. I checked the ARRL website and they sugested my 1996 Ford F-150 pickup had an early recall as the fuel pumps were causing interference. I went to the auto parts store last week and picked up eight one inch wide by 12 inches long ground straps. I feel the above article is a case in point! It really gets critical with linears. Many hams are misinformed about proper grounding technics. Come on all you brainiacs and EE's, take it away and teach the other dudes - show your expertise here, let it shine! I scratched the surface, and this is a very important topic. I feel this article was very shallow on the subject, and many hams I have known are clueless about the subject, so let's take this subject a lot farther than the author did. Improper RF gounding can cause RFI, ground loop problems, and stray RF floating around your station, but more importantly makes for a much higher lightening risk. My point here is grounding the rig itself is NOT good enough! And grounding its power source with only its power cord thrid prong is also inadequite. This helps to avoid ground loops and stray RF floating about your station. Instead, have each device connected directly to a common ground bus, than have only one ground cable from it to earth, and try to keep it all short in length as possible. in a series ground loop (from one to the next in a chain). You want your ground to be the least path of resistance. Use no less than 6ga copper from your ground buss to the actual ground rod or water pipe. Use a very good lightening arrestor near the antenna as the first line of defesne, it will drain off the static buildup that can attract lightening. I feel it is a good idea to use braided ground straps on the power supply and rig, as well as everything else connected to the antenna.
There are two reasons to ground your station, RF and direct for the power supply. I actually prefer to cut off the ground prong on the AC power cord, and use a chassis ground instead. The third prong usually has less than 16ga wire on its cord. And many are using the switching type of PS. Yes, most rigs are low voltage and are merely a circuit board inside that is after the power supply (common foil on the CB). In a way this is so, BUT not a good idea to use only the third prong for an earth connection. I think that if we do the things I mentioned above we could have safer stations which would also operate cleaner and better. While the idea for the topic is neat and quick and would work, it could also inadvertantly become a weak link. Two ground rods at least six feet apart may be necessary in poor soil conditions. Drive a 5/8" diameter ground rod outside and run a good heavy strap from the rod to the buss bar. Clean any paint, coatings, or corrosion so you have bright metal on both the connectors and the cases and the buss bar. Use strapping not wire because this is better for conducting r.f. So, if we are to ground properly a radio station, we should run a ground strap from each piece of equipment to a copper buss bar.
Grounding our equipment and supplies to the same potential as earth provides the safety net for those currents. voltages and currents around our equipment. currents in the shack, such as from a poorly designed antenna or coax system we can get R.F. So, if we have not implemented proper means for limiting R.F. These two properties can cause considerable damage to sophisticated electronics and can cause death. voltage and current, we can get into even more weird and dangerous situations. wood desk, you can create a potential or it can create a crude capacitor which may really cause some screwy things to happen. Anytime you have two pieces separated by an insulator, i.e. This keeps things from burning up (wires) and to prevent metallic objects from staying "hot" or energized so personell don't inadvertantly become the pathway to ground for those stray currents.Īlso, grounding equipment equallizes or nulls potentials (voltage) which may ocurr between said equipment. The ground is there to provide means to complete a circuit for stray currents, such as ground faults, so a breaker will trip in a dead short situation. Second, one of the main reasons we ground ANYTHING is for safety. BULL!įirst, an 857 can't be "plugged into the wall." It needs a power supply.
Such as plugging an 857 into the wall grounds it, and that it isn't necessarily a safety issue. I have read a few threads on here which are a little disturbing. As a Master Electrician, I will relate an old saying, "when in doubt, ground."